Download Labeling Homemade Soaps and Lotions for sale

 Warning and caution statements. These
must be prominent and conspicuous.
Cosmetics that may be hazardous to
consumers must bear appropriate label
warnings. Flammable cosmetics are an
example.
 Ingredients. If the product is marketed on a
retail basis, the ingredients must appear on an
information panel, in descending order of
predominance. The names of ingredients
need to follow the INCI (International
Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) rules.
This is the scientific or agreed-upon standard
name for the ingredient.
Labeling Your Homemade
Soaps, Lotions or Lip Balms
All labeling information must be in English.
For more information about labeling your soaps
and/or lotions, balms, etc., visit these web
pages:
How to label soap:
www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-bodytutorials/cold-process-soap/how-to-label-coldprocess-soap/
Is it a cosmetic, a drug, or both? Or is it soap?:
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplia
nceRegulatoryInformation/ucm074201.htm
FDA: Navigate the Cosmetics Section:
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/default.htm
Cosmetic labeling:
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/CosmeticLabeling
LabelClaims/default.htm
Harrison County Health
Department
241 Atwood Street, Suite 200
Corydon, Indiana 47112
Phone (812) 738-3237
Fax (812) 738-4292
www.harrisoncountyhealth.com
“How to” guide for cosmetic labeling:
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/CosmeticLabeling
LabelClaims/CosmeticLabelingManual/default.ht
m
© Harrison County Health Department, TKM, 2013
Photo from www.paulassoap.com
Believe it or not, most of the “soap” we buy at
the store to clean our bodies with is not
technically “soap” at all; it is detergent made
from synthetic ingredients. That’s why it’s
labeled as a “beauty bar” or “cleansing bar” and
not as “soap”. A growing number of people have
decided they want to get back to more natural
products to put on, and in, their bodies. One
such product is homemade soap.
Making soap
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
defines “soap” as a product where most of the
matter consists of an “alkali salt of fatty acids”. The
product's detergent properties are due to the alkalifatty acid compounds.
The simplest homemade soap can be made from
only three ingredients: a liquid (usually water or
milk), lye, and various melted oils. The resulting
product is the “alkali salt of fatty acids”... soap.
Homemade soaps can be very simple, or they
can be as elaborate as the maker wishes. They
can be plain and odorless, or colored and highly
scented. They can contain water, goat’s milk,
coconut milk, yogurt, honey, animal fats, or plant
oils and butters.
They can have natural colorings or lab-made
colorings. They can be unscented, scented with
natural essential oils or scented with man-made
fragrance oils. They can contain herbs, flowers,
coffee, oatmeal... the possibilities are endless!
But regardless of what your soap contains,
according to the FDA, as long as no “claims”
are made about your soap, such as
“moisturizing”, “acne treatment”,
“deodorizing”, “sleep inducing”, etc., no
labeling is required. NONE.
If claims are made, your product could be
considered to be a drug. This is also true for
"essential oils." A fragrance marketed with
certain "aromatherapy" claims, such as the
assertion that the scent will help the consumer
sleep, meets the definition of a drug. Similarly, a
massage oil that is simply intended to lubricate
the skin and impart fragrance is a cosmetic, but
if the product is marketed as relieving muscle
pain, it's a drug.
Here is the link to the FDA’s web page about it:
www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsaf
ety/ProductInformation/ucm115449.htm.
So you may elect to put no label on your soap at
all. That being said, most people are at least
interested in what goes into homemade soap.
Some people even have allergies or sensitivities
to certain ingredients. They may be sensitive to
certain colorings, fragrances, or oils. Even if it’s
not legally required, it may benefit you to go
ahead and list the ingredients on the product’s
back panel. People appreciate information and
transparency.
If nothing else, shouldn’t you have your contact
information on the soap? What if the purchaser
loved it and wants to buy more? How can they
do that if they don’t know how to contact you?
Photo from www.soapqueen.com
Is labeling required for my handmade
soaps?
Soap label showing back ingredient panel and front identity panel. Note
that this soap label makes no claims. It simply states what it is.
What about labeling homemade
lotions, lip balms, or similar products?
While true soap does not require labeling (as long
as no health or beauty claims are made), lotions
and lip balms are considered by the FDA to be
cosmetics and proper labeling is required.
There are at least two panels on a label; the
principal display panel and the information panel.
The principal display panel must contain:
 An identity statement indicating what the
product is.
 An accurate statement of the net quantity of
contents, in terms of weight, measure, or
numerical count.
The following information must appear on the
information panel:
 Name and place of business. This may be the
manufacturer, packer, or distributor. You need
to list an address, not just a website.
 Distributor statement. If the name and
address are not those of the manufacturer, the
label must say "Manufactured for..." or
"Distributed by”...
 Material facts. Failure to reveal material facts
is one form of misleading labeling and therefore
makes a product misbranded. An example is
directions for safe use, if a product could be
unsafe if used incorrectly.